Dionysos (Roman Bacchus)

The Greek god of wine, child of Semele, but ultimately born from Zeus' thigh. He is associated with ecstatic behaviour not necessarily brought on by drinking, and is shown with vine or ivy wreath and cups. After the 5th century BC he is often represented as a young or effeminate figure (first on the Parthenon). He is attended by Satyrs and Maenads, or his consort Ariadne whom he found on Naxos. Individual adventures include an encounter with pirates, whom he turns into dolphins, his role in the Gods' battle with the Giants, in which he may wield a thyrsos or an enveloping ivy branch, and in the procession leading Hephaistos back to Olympos.